July 26, 2017New Geoscience BC research suggests more recent formation of gold deposits at BC's most productive gold camp

Gold Bridge, BC - July 26, 2017 - New research released today shows that gold deposits in the Bridge River area west of Lillooet formed later than previously thought.

A new report entitled Constraints on the Metallogeny and Geochronology of the Bridge River Gold District and Associated Intrusions, Southwestern British Columbia, describes how the project utilized radiometric dating techniques to determine the ages of formation for the host rocks and gold deposits. It was funded by Geoscience BC and conducted by University of British Columbia (UBC) Mineral Deposit Research Unit (MDRU) Director Craig Hart and Richard Goldfarb, previously at the United States Geological Survey.

The results show that gold deposits formed in the Bridge River district between 64 and 68 million years ago: between 10-30 million years later than previous estimates. These findings create a different understanding of geological controls for gold deposit formation that will help guide future mineral exploration in the area, as well as in other parts of British Columbia.

Bridge River is the most productive gold camp in BC history. Almost 130 tonnes of gold were mined there between 1892 and 1971 from mines including Bralorne, Congress, Minto, Pioneer, Pioneer-Extension, and Wayside.

Commenting on the results, Craig Hart said: "The Bridge River is a historically important gold mining area. With detailed analyses, we've determined that the gold deposits formed more recently than previously thought. It provides important new constraints that will guide future exploration decisions in the area."

Geoscience BC Vice-President of Minerals and Mining Bruce Madu said: "Understanding how and when gold was emplaced at Bridge River is vital knowledge about potential deposits there. It also gives clues about deposit formation in other parts of British Columbia."

Accessing Information

New maps and project reports are available for anyone to view on the Geoscience BC website www.geosciencebc.com, which includes the free Earth Science Viewer web mapping application.

Constraints on the Metallogeny and Geochronology of the Bridge River Gold District and Associated Intrusions, southwestern British Columbia